Our graduates are the living legacy of the LBJ School of Public Affairs and its tradition of bold and fearless action in the service of shaping the world. These alumni have broken ground and have created impactful solutions to complex problems in fields from health policy to the environment and international affairs. In recognition of Black History Month, we celebrate the LBJ School's Black alumni and their contributions to society.
Stacey Abrams (MPAff '98) is running as a Democratic candidate for Georgia governor for the second time. In 2018, she was the first black woman in U.S. history to become a major party's gubernatorial nominee and won more votes than any other Democrat in Georgia's history. She served 11 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, including seven as minority leader. Abrams founded Fair Fight to combat voter suppression. She and Rudy Metayer (EMPL '16) were recipients of LBJ's 2019 Outstanding Alumni Awards. @staceyabrams
Ryan Caldwell (MGPS '15) is a U.S. foreign service officer currently stationed in Washington, DC, where she supports the Political-Military Bureau assistant secretary and other principal deputy assistant secretaries in areas including interenational security, defense strategy, military operations and defense trade. She previously served in Islamabad, Pakistan, and La Paz, Bolivia, where her portfolio included human rights and labor issues.
Rodney Ellis (MPAff '77) is an attorney and commmissioner of Harris County Precinct One, serving approximately 1.1 million people. He was elected to the office in 2016 after representing a Houston district in the Texas Senate for more than 25 years. Prior to that he represented District D on Houston's City Council for three terms, and worked as chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland (D-TX). A strong supporter of the LBJ School, Ellis delivered the keynote address for the 2011 Barbara Jordan National Forum. @RodneyEllis
Ariel Griffin (MGPS '15) combines her policy background and experience as a classroom teacher in her role as a program officer for education at Children International, a Kansas City-based organization focused on combating poverty in the lives of children and youth, building healthy environments and empowering young people. She is also president of LBJ School Alumni Board, and works as an independent contractor for organizations that need Spanish-language training and as a consultant for local faith-based nonprofits. @auanib
Rudy Metayer (EMPL '16) serves as a member of the Pflugerville City Council and as president and executive director of the Texas Black Caucus Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute whose aim is to create awareness, inform policy, build community, educate policymakers and inform the public on issues impacting Black Texans. Metayer, a first-generation college graduate, is also Of Counsel at the Austin law firm Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody. Metayer received the LBJ School's Rising Leader Award in 2019. @rmetayer
Kirt Smith (MGPS '17) is a policy analyst for security and foreign affairs at the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, where he researches China's foreign policy, Hong Kong and Chinese influence in the Middle East and Central Asia. Previously he worked at the Congressional Research Service (CRS), supporting congressional committees, members of Congress and staff in developing legislative priorities for the Indo-Pacific region. During his time at LBJ, Smith took part in an exchange program that took him to Shanghai for a semester at Fudan University's School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University. @jk_smith6
To these and all of our alumni, we are so proud of you and the work you are doing to change the world.